Brueton Park
Heritage Project
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust was awarded
£25,000 by the Heritage Lottery Fund to celebrate and research the
diverse and fascinating heritage of Brueton Park with young people
aged 13 - 19 years of age. Young people worked with all sectors of
the community to discover more about the history and heritage of
one of their local parks.
The initial stages of the project
concentrated on researching the park and surrounding area. Young
people used the library, internet and other local resources to
determine what the park was used for, who owned it, who lived here,
and why both the cultural and natural heritage are important in the
area. They then were given the opportunity to take photographs of
the park and compare these with photographs from the past.
Participants interviewed local residents to
gain an insight into their experiences and memories of the park.
Intergenerational work was a key part of the project and enabled
young people to learn more about previous generations living in the
area. The research the young people conducted was recorded using a
variety of multimedia, such as the production of audio interviews,
video diaries and music.
The film footage, audio recordings and
photographs have been used to create a short documentary film for
display in schools, Solihull Central Library and Warwickshire
Wildlife Trust visitor centres. Participants also took part in the
Arts Award and John Muir Conservation Award to gain some recognised
accreditation for their hard work.
A group of year 9 and 10 pupils from
Alderbrook School were involved in the project. With the help of
the Youth Engagement Officer and Solihull Metropolitan Borough
Council's Local Nature Reserves Officer, Gary Farmer, they planted
a new native hedgerow in Brueton Park's grassland reserve.
The project is now completed. For more
information about the project, please contact Matt Cox on 0121 704
0768 or email matt.cox@wkwt.org.uk.
